When Jack met Mac
by Jasmine-N-Leaves
Summary: Jack finishes at the CIA and heads back to his old unit. Once on base, he meets and befriends a young man, who grows to become his brother. Rated T just in case. Parts of the final chapter are a possible M, I have put an alert where they are.
1. First sight

This story takes place sometime in 2011. In the Episode 'Wrench', we find out roughly when Mac and Jack meet. Jack mentions something that made me think that it was just after Pena died, but before they start working for DSX (later Phoenix). Hope you enjoy it. Oh and Mac's age is based on Till's age.

A/N2: the reason I'm not mentioning the names of Jack's other Delta team mates is that I've read many stories told by soldiers about their time in warzones, and they never mention the names of those still alive that do the kind of work that Delta forces and others like them do. It is to protect them and their families. This is my homage to them and the work they do.

I don't own the show. Bugger. But I do own the OCs. Yeah!

FYI: I have changed a couple of things in this chapter. If you have gotten an alert, please re-read this chapter.

* * *

Jack arrived at the base he had left three years ago, just 24 hours after leaving the CIA. He was sick of their bullshit and passing of the buck so someone else could take the fall. Well that and the fall out with The Hun. The reason it hadn't been him yet was because he knew where he could find a few handy, skeleton filled closets. He had arrived just in time for dinner and caught sight of a few members of his former team. He smiled and walked up to them, coming from behind and cuffing them round the back of their heads.

"What are you lot of idiots up to now?" He asked as he stepped back out of fist range as they swung around.

"Jack!" The taller of the three cried. Jack stepped back as he came forward for a hug. The man, Tim; was taller than him and had an extra 50 pounds of muscle. "Been a while. You still with those Company idiots?"

"Nah, quit that. Had enough." Jack said as he fell into step with the others and joined them inside the mess hut.

"Back for good?" another man, by the name of Simon, asked

Jack had been with the company in an agent capacity for around five ears. Two on base as a liaison before heading off as a full time agent. He and his Delta Force team had been their go too team; to pull Company people out when shit went down and they got into trouble; for over a decade before he joined. His strategy and physical skills were the reason he had been asked to join as an agent.

Saying yes was the worse thing he had done. Five years was all he could stand. He returned to the base in Afghanistan as that was where his unit was, and where he had spent most of his time when with Delta Force. He had missed the comradery and brotherhood offered by his unit.

"Yes, for good. Had enough of those nutbags." They had gathered a plate each and were now sitting at a table swapping stories and telling jokes about all that had happened since Jack last saw them.

It was at this time that Jack saw MacGyver for the first time. He looked around the mess hall, seeing who was still there, who had left and who was new. He saw the kid sitting with an older man with dark skin. The blonde looked no older than 18 or 19, and Jack was wondering just that the hell he was doing here.

"Some kind of genius, I've heard." Tim said, following Jack line of sight. "Sent here straight from training. Been here a month maybe?" The others nodded in agreement. "MacGyver, I think is his name."

"Little young, ain't he?" Jack asked, still watching as a couple of men came up behind him and seem to be giving him a hard time. Until the older man sitting with him came back from a coffee run and they left.

"Like Tim said, a genius." The third guy, Tyler answered.

They finished their meal and told Jack that there was a briefing in a couple of hours if he wanted to re-join the unit. "That's why I came back, you idiots." He said as he followed them to a rec area.

* * *

This is short, I know, but the next one will be longer.


	2. Second Meeting

A/N: Here's the second chapter. I've got a bit written for this, but this might be the only stuff I post for a bit. Full time work and study is filling my time. But I will do my best. Enjoy.

And if I didn't state it in the first chapter, NOT mine. Bugger.

* * *

Jack and the unit didn't arrive back at that base for another twelve months. One mission turned into too many to count as they got shipped to wherever they were needed. They specialised in the capture of really bad guys, with the occasional hostage rescue or being used as a support unit or back up.

Once again it was dinner time and the others had been given leave to go home for a couple of weeks. All the others had families they hadn't seen in years except Jack. Well, he and his father weren't exactly on speaking terms.

He headed in alone and as usual, took a seat toward the back of the tent. He had just about finished when a Major sat across from him. You couldn't tell however, as with Delta Forces, no rank was visible. But Jack had worked with him before; he greeted him and told him to pull out a chair.

They exchanged pleasantries while the Major ate. And that was when Jack spotted the kid, MacGyver, as he joined the chow line. He was on his own, but whereas last time he had a look of optimism and happiness about him; he now looked disheartened and lost. He was pale; paler than the conditions warranted; and he looked gaunt.

"What happened?" Jack asked before he could stop himself.

The major looked at him a second before looking in the same direction. "Ah, his partner, mentor and CO, Alfred Pena, was killed a couple of weeks ago. EOD tech. Bomb went off in a house he was clearing. The kid was outside fixing the robot when it happened." He sat back in his chair as he looked the kid over. "Doesn't seem to be doing too well."

"He go home?" Jack asked as he sipped his coffee. _An EOD tech? Wonder if he's still up for it._ Jack thought. The team's EOD tech, Simon, had been killed just a few days before, prompting the R &R. He'd been with them for years and his death had hit the team hard. He was the first of them to be killed in nearly six years.

"Don't think he has any family. Not that I've heard him mention."

"You know him?"

"Debriefed him after. Was pretty shook up, but was admit not to be sent home." Jack could see the Major was looking at him oddly. "What's piqued your interest, Jack?"

"We just lost Simon. They'll be assigning another to us soon, but they've given me a chance to at least pick my own." He sighed, not taking his eyes off MacGyver. And he was glad he didn't.

He saw three men come in just as MacGyver had sat down and surround him. The kid looked up at them and Jack could see a hint of fear sneak into his features. Jack made a slight growl, catching the attention of his table mate. The reason, one of the men had dumped a handful of dirt on the plate.

Jack and the Major were too far away to hear what was being said, but from the look on the kid's face, he was slightly scared, but resigned. Jack realised that this wasn't the first time this had happened.

"I'll get another plate for him, you head over there and sit with him. They should leave then." The Major said as he stood. Aside from him, the only other person of significant rank was Jack. The rest of the mess hall just let things play out as two of the three were Lieutenants and the other a Sargent. The Major had seen them around for a while and knew them to be a little annoying, but he hadn't seen them be out right bullying.

As a Captain, normally Jack wouldn't be able to pick his own team; but then again, there were few Captains that had been doing the job for as long as he had. The Major had a feeling that his own plans for getting the kid on his team had just gone up in smoke.

MACGYVER MACGYVER MACGYVER

Jack sat at the end of the table, having spotted a few people that he recognised. He tuned an ear toward the kid and his tormentors, hoping to catch what they were saying. When he did, he nearly launched himself at them.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you Hotshot? Not without your 'Mentor' to protect you."

"Baby got my spot on the EOD squad. I was going to be training with Pena, but then you had to show up and prove to everyone that just because you're smart you get whatever you want."

A few other comments were said before they noticed Jack at the end of the table. They shuffled off, but not before knocking the tray off the table. Jack almost went after them, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Here," said the Major, handing Jack a fresh plate, "Give him this. The scuttlebutt is that this has been going on since Pena died. He's been snagging a few power bars on his way out the last few times."

Jack wondered what else had been happening as he simply slipped the plate in front of the kid. Simply nodding to him as he headed out, Jack saw MacGyver gape at him before nodding a silent 'thank you'.

Once he left the mess hall, he headed toward the base commander's hut. He needed to know a little more about the kid before he brought him onto his team.

He sat, thinking, outside the commander's door as he waited to be called in. He wondered just how old the kid was.

"Jack, General Radise will see you now." The desk Sargent, Jacobson said.

Jack headed in and sat when indicated after giving a respectful if somewhat sloppy salute. Radise was only a couple of years older than Jack, and the two had served together for over a decade. Jack preferred to stay a grunt, while Radise liked the idea of giving orders. He had however, upon gaining a general's star, insisted that until he got another, he wanted to be in command of a base. And he was well liked and highly respected by all those on the base.

"Sir." He said.

"Sit Jack, and how many time do I have to tell you, don't call me that. We've been friends for far too long." Radise said, waving a hand at the chair in front of him.

"Habit." Jack smiled as he shrugged. "What can you tell me about an EOD by the name of MacGyver?" He got to the point, something the two had always done.

Radise thought a moment before standing and heading over to a file drawer. "You're the second Delta leader to ask me that in as many days."

"Let me guess, Major …" A truck rumbled past at that moment, but Radise knew who Jack had meant.

"Yes, he came in yesterday, wanting to know if he's ready to be reassigned." Radise sat down and handed Jack the kid's file.

"And? I'm not looking for a clinical assessment, Thom. Give it to me straight." Jack said, not looking at the file. He would do that later. Right now, he was looking for a human answer, not one made by shrinks.

Radise sat back and looked hard at Jack. The major hadn't wanted to look this deep into the kid, just wanting to know if he was able to go back out into the field and do his job. "He's still grieving. From his background, he doesn't have anyone he can really talk to about any of this back home." He stood and poured then each a cup of coffee. "I've been sending him out on regular patrols. Nothing too long, just a few hours, back by dark, that sort of thing." He took a sip before continuing.

"There's something else going on, though. I just can't figure out what it is. His patrol mates and others around the base have said that he's closed off, keeping to himself and, he's started snapping at some of the younger personnel." He stopped a moment as he saw Jack nodding, "You know what it is, don't you?"

Jack shrugged, "I may have an idea. How long before you need to make a decision?"

"Couple of weeks. Just before your team return. What are you thinking, Jack?" Radise lent back in his chair. "I know you too well. You want him, but you don't want to force him onto your team."

Jack simply nodded, "Yeah, he's just lost a mentor, and possible the only friend he had here. I don't want him thinking he's on my team just because no one else wanted him."

They talked for another hour, catching up before Jack called it a night. He wanted to have a look through the file and sleep on what he found.

* * *

A/N: If anyone has anything better than what I've written for the bullying, let me know. What I've got sounds silly, but it was the only thing that came to me.


	3. Third contact

So here we go. In case you missed the note I left in chapter 1, I have changed a couple of things. Nothing major. So, onto the story. I have somehow managed to finish it. I have written this over several months of Fridays at a café where I have breakfast once a week before I start work. I will try and post a chapter every couple of days. Enjoy.

* * *

Jack read through the file a second time, letting out a low whistle. 21 years old, raised by his grandfather after his father walked out. Joined up halfway through senior year and finished top of his class. Completed EOD training under Charlie Robinson and Alfred Pena in just six months. _Must have been here less than a year when I first saw him._ One of the best EOD techs out there. Both he and Pena were in high demand.

Jack sat back and closed the file on his desk. Granted, most Captains don't get desks, let alone a tent to themselves. But unlike some soldiers who wanted to see how far up they could go, or stayed in long enough to get their pension, he liked being a grunt. After doing the job for over 20 years, he had a reputation; and a lot of people, both above and below him in rank; respected him a lot. Plus having the base commander as a friend helped. He scrubbed his face before hitting the showers. He then rested on the bed and allowed the warm, but welcome, breeze lull him to sleep.

It was pre-dawn the next morning when Jack found himself stretching out after a warmup lap around the dirt track surrounding the base. For a man in his mid-forties, he was doing remarkably well. Something that Radise had made a mention of the day before. He was about to get into a more vigorous run when he spotted MacGyver coming onto the field.

The blonde looked as though he had had a rather rough night. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy; with bags and blackness under them. Wondering just what the hell had happened after he had last seen him in the mess tent, Jack finished up his stretching and headed off. If the kid caught up, or wanted to talk, he wouldn't turn him away.

It was lap five of what Jack hoped to be 20 when he heard someone behind him. Turning slightly, he saw MacGyver coming up on him. The man nodded in recognition and greeting before continuing on, passing Jack with ease. Granted, Jack was taking things a little slowly because of the explosion that killed Simon a few days before, but he didn't think he was that slow. Shrugging, he ran on. Three laps later, after MacGyver had passed him a third time, the younger man pulled alongside him.

Keeping pace, he said "Thanks, for yesterday."

"No problem. Jack."

"MacGyver." While it was a little awkward, they somehow managed to shake hands. "Delta?"

Jack nodded. It was a general rule when you joined Delta that you never told anyone your last name. Kept you, your team and those you loved, safer, mostly; simply because it is a lot harder to find a person with only a first name to go off.

"Why'd you step in like that?"

Jack could hear the underlying question _Do I owe you something now because of it?_ "Don't like seeing people being bullied. And I heard about Pena. Sorry." He saw sadness cross the kid's face. "My team's on stand down too." Seeing that the kid heard the sadness in his own voice and had a questioning look on his face, he elaborated. "One of our men was killed a couple of days ago."

MacGyver nodded and the pair continued to run side by side for another five laps before Jack's sore ribs protested. He had hurt them when the bomb went off.

MacGyver noticed when he slowed and asked if he was ok. "Nothing a bit of R&R won't fix. Just don't like to sit around doing nothing." The younger man nodded and Jack headed off the field to cool down and shower before heading to breakfast. He saw MacGyver do another three laps before he left. The kid didn't look like he would be leaving any time soon.

After breakfast, Jack found out he was joining a routine patrol. SOP when a man finds himself without a unit. He had grabbed a few pieces of fruit on his way out and when he saw the look of defeat in MacGyver's face as the kid joined him in the Humvee, he handed him a banana.

MacGyver had looked at him a second before recognising him. At Jack's raised eyebrow, he had nodded; causing Jack to sigh internally. The three from yesterday had been hassling him again.

The reason Jack hadn't been there this morning was that higher ranks and those who ran Delta units, like Jack; were entitled to have meals before everyone else. Last night had been the exception as he had returned so late.

The patrol only had one hiccup. The engine died, causing a slight worry to run through its occupants. Once everyone was out, the Humvee making quite the target, they scattered out while the driver tried to get it going again. Jack was taking a turn on a nearby hill when he heard raised voices coming from the vehicle. Looking down, he saw MacGyver arguing with the leader of the patrol. The wind happened to change direction at that point, so Jack was able to catch the next sentence the patrol leader said. Hasnik was a hardnosed man with no room for imagination or improvisation.

"I don't care what you think, MacGyver." Even his tone showed distain for the young man. "You're not a machinic, Lander is. Now butt out and let the man do his job. You're just an up-start youngster who happened to somehow get taught by the best in the business. Don't know what Pena saw in you." With that, he turned his back to MacGyver and leaned over Leander's shoulder again.

Wondering what it was the EOD tech had suggested, he waved him over when MacGyver headed off, dejection and anger showing in his steps.

"What's wrong?" He asked when MacGyver joined him on the hill, looking out over the sand.

"The radiators got a hairline crack in it, from that bolder would be my guess. And the hose running to it must have also gotten nicked, as it's torn open. I told them hours ago, that we should have turned back." He ran his hand through his short hair, knocking off the bandana that Jack had always seen him wear.

"From that rocky patch, we went through at the start?" Jack remembered that. They had all heard the loud thump and the whole truck had lurched as it made its way over a large bolder that had been hidden in the soft sand.

He resettled the bandana as he answered. "Yeah." He dropped his hands in frustration, "And I know how to fix it. But Hasnik chucks a Hasnikiy fit every time I suggest something. Lander wants to listen to me; I've helped him do patch up jobs on other trucks until the parts arrive, but Hasnik is having none of it."

Jack chuckled slightly. Seems having someone to talk to again was doing wonders for the kids' self-esteem. "What'd you do to him?"

MacGyver seemed to blush slightly, or it could have been the sun starting to get to him. "I may have pranked him with Pena's help when I first arrived."

Jack laughed and clapped the man on the shoulder, making him promise tell him the full story once they got back to base. "Lets see if we can get Lander on your side and get that truck fixed."

They headed back to the hummer, after telling one of the others to take up position on the hill. "Lander!" Jack called out, "You need a hand?" He pointed to the younger man beside him. "The kid here tells me he's helped you out a couple of times."

"Thanks Jack, that'd be great. Mac's done wonders before on these things."

Jack lent against the vehicle; hidden from the view of a certain patrol leader, who had gone to the back to grab a bottle of water. As the man heard the exchange and came back to the front, Jack grabbed the man by his collar.

"I don't know what your problem is with MacGyver, but the kid seems to know what he's about when it come to this sort of thing. Pena trusted and had confidence enough to let him fix all their equipment from what I've heard. Now let him do his job, and we can get out of this heat." Jack may have been slightly shorter than Hasnik, but he was Delta; and had been a solider for over twenty years; compared to his eight and only being regular military. Hasnik realised this, nodded and went to the rear of the hummer.

MacGyver looked over at Jack for a moment, nodding in thanks before finishing with the radiator hose. He had wrapped it with ducktape several times, stating that it should hold until they get back to base. Then he pulled several packets of what looked like ground pepper from a pocket and tipped them into the radiator itself.

"Pepper?" both Jack and Lander asked.

"Yeah. It'll flow with the water as we fill it back up; swell and block the crack. Kinda like how a dam can hold water when the walls are made of earth. Not a permanent fix, but it'll hold till we're back." He said as he poured water in. Both Lander and Jack held their breath, but after a small trickle, the water stopped leaking. "Only thing is, we'll have to wash it out to find the crack again to fix it."

That caused a chuckle from the other two men observing as MacGyver finished filling the radiator. They started the engine, checked everything and made sure all was running as it should before calling the others in. This time, Jack and MacGyver sat up front with Lander, while Hasnik sat in the back with the other three men and two women.

Radise watched as the patrol he had sent Jack and MacGyver pulled in, an hour late. They had radioed ahead to say they were having engine trouble, and had made contact every ten minutes. Once he heard they were heading back in, he let out a sigh of relief. He looked about the group as they got out, looking for two people in particular. He spotted them, Jack talking to the younger MacGyver. He wondered what had happened to make Hasnik not only sit in the back, but also to send death glares at the younger of the two that were heading to the equipment rack. He saw them laugh and Jack ruffle the younger man's hair, causing him to hit the older one in the shoulder.

Radise sighed again. He had been on the verge of sending MacGyver to another base, or back to the States because of his behaviour. Seeing the kid smiling again, joking and engaging with others was a huge relief. Seems Jack knew what he was doing. Heading back into his office, he drew up the paperwork, ready to be signed off when the kid decided to join the unit.

Jack had been worried about the kid, but seeing him engage with himself and Lander and the rest of the patrol, aside from Hasnik, made him hope that the kid would consider joining his unit when he asked. It was still early days yet, but he knew he had helped pull the kid out from his depression.

* * *

There we go, another chapter bites the dust. Also, if anyone has any ideas about the prank that MacGyver and Pena play on Hasnik, let me know, or feel free to write it yourself.

Also, the pepper trick? It works. I've seen my Dad do this with the radiators in the trucks. They are 70s trucks so I don't know how modern radiators would handle it. The only thing is that you have to wash or burn (which stinks) out the pepper really well otherwise the soldering/welding won't seal.


	4. Forth Exchange

So here is another, slightly longer, chapter. Enjoy

Nope, still not mine. Bugger.

* * *

 _Jack had been worried about the kid, but seeing him engage with him and Lander and the rest of the patrol, aside from Hasnik, made him hope that the kid would consider joining his unit when he asked. It was still early days yet, but he knew he had helped pull the kid out from his depression._

That had been ten days ago. Some of his unit arrived back that night. Too late to join the earlier dinner line, Jack and his men found themselves surrounded by the younger and lower ranked men and women. Jack looked around for a certain blonde. The younger man had been happier than he had been in weeks, according to Radise. Jack had noticed that he wasn't putting that much weight on however. He had hoped that by being friendly to him, it might have put off the bullies. While Jack hadn't told Radise about what was happening, he had told those involved to back off. Otherwise he would, and they would end up back Stateside. Seemed he would have to do something a little more proactive. Like actually ask the kid what was going on.

The haunted look had gone from MacGyver's face, a sure sign that, while still grieving over Pena, he would be ok. Jack watched as he joined the line. He and his unit had their usual table toward the back, and as a result, Jack was hidden by his team mates. So he was able to see what happened next.

Jack hadn't joined MacGyver for dinners since that first night. Not wanting to appear to be favouring the kid. And it was discouraged by the higher ups that those of rank didn't mix with the others, least said favouring happen. Now it seemed that the kid was still being hassled, but now it was by a lot of different people. While he couldn't hear much, he was able to catch some of the words by lip reading.

 _What you doing hanging out with Delta?_

 _Think you're better than us?_

 _Pena, Delta? Who else are you bedding?_

And other things. While on their own, he suspected that the kid would be able to handle it. But combined with someone sweeping his dinner off the table 'by accident', and another squeezing his arm until Jack was sure there would be massive bruises come morning; the kid looked defeated. And the worse thing, Jack knew his friendship with the young man had brought this about.

"You alright Jack?" Tim's voice brought him back to his table.

Tim and the others were looking at him and he realised that he had gotten so focused on MacGyver that they had noticed.

"What's your deal with the youngster?" Tyler asked. They had finished their meal and had been sipping coffee.

"He's a good kid. Smart; he made a few water pistols out of some old exhaust pipes, a BB gun someone snuck in and a busted Glock. Knows his stuff when it comes to IED's, too." That got their attention.

"Simon's not been gone a fortnight, and you've already got a replacement lined up?" a third spoke.

They knew the deal. They had a couple of weeks R&R, but they were needed too much to be on stand down for long. They had thought a rotation back to the states to find another tech would have been what happened. But if Jack had found another EOD tech here, it meant that they would be training here, in the heat, to become a cohesive unit again. Instead of the relative cool that enveloped home at this time of year.

"He's just a kid." A forth said, looking over at the table again. MacGyver had given up on eating anything and was heading out, a look of utter defeat and dejection on his face. He didn't even bother to grab an energy bar on the way out, causing Jack to stand.

"He know you want him?" Tim asked as he stood too. Jack didn't answer, just followed the kid outside.

The others finished their coffee and followed Jack, each grabbing something to give the kid. They may have been shocked at Jack's choice, but as their leader, he had that right. And they had seen the kid's face when he had walked out without eating. Harassment was one thing, but outright bullying like they had just seen was another. Jack, from the looks of things had been watching the kid for a while, so he better than they ever could; would know if he could fit in with them. While they had been a team without change for over ten years, none of them had the experience or years of service that Jack did.

If Jack saw something in the young man that made him think that MacGyver would be a good fit with the Delta unit, he was probably right. So they decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It was a good thing they went after him. They saw him turn a corner to the tents that they knew he would be housed in, followed by several people. And from the way they walked, none of them meant anything good.

Jack hurried when he saw the shadows following the young man. He managed to catch up just as Mac managed to put down the first of his attackers with a well-placed kick. The kid quickly took out another as Jack went after a third. Jack knew that the kid was good at martial arts. He had sparred with him a couple of times over the last few days. Between him, Mac and the rest of his unit, they quickly took out the gang. Jack figured the whispers that he had been hearing the last couple of days were starting to irritate those who believed that they should be on the unit.

They looked at each other a moment, before looking over those who had started the attack.

"I had hoped to ask you in the morning, but I guess now's a good a time as any." Jack looked at Mac as the blonde looked at him.

"What?" Both were still getting their breath back, so they all stood to one side as the base MP's arrived.

Jack waited until the MP's had taken the others away. They had been eight in total, including the ones that Jack had chased off twelve days ago. He nodded in the direction of his tent/office while the others gave the startled kid fruit, power bars and, Jack didn't know where it came from, a slightly melted chocolate bar.

He headed off, looking back once to make sure he was following. They arrived at his tent a few minutes later, knowing that they had at least half-an-hour before either Radise or the MP's arrived to hear their story. He sat down, motioning for Mac to continue eating. The banana and one of the power bars had already gone on the walk over and Jack could tell he was holding the chocolate bar for last.

"You want to join Delta?" Jack asked. He knew of the kid's dislike for guns, but he knew that he had other skills. One of which was to create something out of almost nothing, a thing he had witnessed after knowing the kid for a couple of days. The day they had patrol for the first time together he had carried a gun, only because he knew he had no choice.

He saw the kid pause in taking a bite out of an apple. The look on his face, Jack couldn't quite decipher. It looked like a mix of confusion, fear and awe.

"What?"

Jack took his time in answering that, knowing that he needed Mac to understand that he wanted him on the team. Not that he was being assigned. "As I mentioned that day we met on the running track, we lost someone. Simon. He was our EOD tech." Jack pulled a couple of bottles of water from the mini fridge (another perk) and tossed him one. "I first saw you with Pena a year ago. My guess, you had only been here about six months. You had a look about you then, that no matter what life threw at you, you could handle it. You can stand on your own two feet, but you also have trouble because of your age. Others treat you like a kid." He took a moment to look him over. His earlier assessment that he wasn't eating regularly held true. The way he had been eating the snacks the others had given him had proved that. "I asked the base commander about you after I gave you dinner that night. His assessment of you told me you would be a good fit with my team. The file he gave me reinforced that."

He saw Mac start to put things together. "That's why you were on the patrol with me that morning." His voice was slightly accusatory.

"I didn't ask, if that's what you're thinking. Radish must have figured that if we were on the same patrol, we might get to know one another. I hadn't counted on Hasnik being there, nor the radiator dying. But seeing you work your magic on it and the way you handled yourself tonight? I'm not seeing anything that's dissuading me from asking you this; same with what happened the other day. It's your choice. There's another Delta team leader that's had an eye on you as well. A Major…" A helicopter flew overhead at that moment, obscuring the name, but Mac lip read. "He wants you too. He's a good man, good leader."

"But?" Mac asked.

Jack could see that nothing got past the kid. "But he has a tendency to not realise little things. Like the fact that this will no doubt be your first assignment without Pena. That you haven't been in the military long and because of that, there will be somethings that will overwhelm you." He held up his hand to stop Mac from saying anything. "I know you can handle yourself. You proved that tonight. That's not what I'm talking about." He had been leaning against the fridge and now sat down in front of the kid. "Aside from Pena, have you seen much combat death? Because of your job, have you experienced a long drawn out firefight that lasted twelve hours?" He looked deep into the Mac's eyes. He saw him thinking hard.

"No. I'm guessing that's something that's likely to happen if I decide to join." The younger man looked at Jack.

Jack for his part, didn't twitch. The look MacGyver was sending him was full of thoughts.

"If I decided not to join either of your teams?"

"You'll be on call for whoever needs an EOD tech. Or, Radise could assign you to one of us, or another team entirely; with people you don't know. From experience, it's exhausting, and not the best way to make friends. And you could be constantly moving."

"Why befriend me at all? The last few days have been pretty bad with the others thinking I'm shacking up with you to get on the team." Mac sat back, his face clouded, thunderous. Jack had to step carefully now.

"Like I told you on the field that day, I don't like bullies. I know you could handle them on your own. But not on top of dealing with Pena's death. You were losing weight and starting to get demoralised. Not a good thing in this line of work." He took a breath. "And you reminded me of someone I knew years ago. Stanley had a good friend that didn't care if he was different. He was, not as smart as you or I, but he had an amazing sense of humour. He was older than me, but he always had a joke ready for me. I was a runt at school." He sat back, "But that changed when his friend was killed. She was a beautiful golden Lab he called Tinker. She was run over by one of the people that teased him. After that he was never the same. Tinker grounded him, helped him to focus; helped him to cope with everything."

"My understanding is that you have no-one back home you can talk to about any of this." He posed it as a question.

"You're comparing Pena to a dog?" In that moment, Jack knew the kid was on his team.

"No, to a friend. He helped you to keep grounded. Helped you deal with being so far from home. I know that my friendship with you has caused others jealousy, and they've taken it out on you. That just proves to me that they will never fit with my team." He stayed quiet after that. The only sound came from the light breeze as it moved the tent flaps.

"I've only got my best friend back home, but you're right; I can't talk to him about this. Boza wouldn't understand." Mac straightened as he came to a decision, just as two MPs came in, followed by Radise.

"Jack, MacGyver." The base commander said as he walked in. His desk Sargent had informed him of what had happened. Hasnik was one of the men arrested for trying to assault MacGyver. After seeing the man's face upon the return of that first patrol he had sent Jack and MacGyver out on, Radise had a feeling that this was punishment. Jack had stood to offer the seat to the commander, standing next to him. "What happened?" he asked, not really expecting an answer from the younger man.

Jack hoped that Mac would tell Thom what had been happening. It seemed that the event from a couple of days before had come to a head.

* * *

The next chapter will be a flashback scene.


	5. Fifth Assembly

A/N: Here is the Flashback scene. Enjoy. This story is now finished, so I should be able to update it weekly from now on. There are about another three chapters after this one.

 _Jack hoped that Mac would tell Thom what had been happening. It seemed that the event from a couple of days before had come to a head._

 _FLASHBACK_

Radise had come to him about getting together some men and doing a patrol. Not all that unusual, but the General had then said that they were to head to a nearby village.

"A member of the village has asked for help. Seems the Taliban set up some IED's one night, and the village has lost a couple of people to them. No one knows how many more there are, but they're scared to leave their homes. And we all know what happens after that." Jack nodded across from his friend.

The Taliban had a habit of terrorising villages that allowed US troops to pass through hassled or to use their wells to refill water-bottles and radiators. If threats to stop allowing the troops in went unanswered, they would scare them into their homes, then destroy the village.

"Take MacGyver, he hasn't been out since Pena died, at least not in that capacity. And the two of you seem to have a good rapport." Thom had said, leaning back in his chair, watching Jack.

"You sent Mason after us." He stated, referring to the General's desk Sargent.

Thom looked guiltily at the desk a moment. He should have known that Jack would have seen his nephew following them on occasion; he was Delta after all. The perks of rank, and Mason didn't mind. "I had been on the verge of sending him back to the States because of his behaviour; you know that right?"

"I had picked up on that from talk around the base." Jack said watching his friend. He didn't think it would be too much longer before he accepted that promotion and leave the base for a desk job in the States; something else he had heard. He had been here for about seven years, longer than most survived.

"I'll leave you to pick your own team, no more than patrol size. If anyone asks, you followed something. The last thing we need is for word to get back to the Taliban that we went there specifically to help them. If MacGyver happens to spot an IED and disarm it, so be it."

Jack understood the silent dismissal. He stood, snapped off a respectful, if not full, salute and headed out. He nodded to Mason on the way out before heading off to find MacGyver. This time of day, unless the kid was on patrol, he was usually found in the garage, helping to fix the trucks.

He had come across him at night sometimes, mostly when it was too hot to stay in the tents. The clank and ting of tools hitting the Humvees as he worked had alerted him to that one night, a few days after they had met. Mac had said the familiarity of the work calmed him down. Jack had seen to it that he had been assigned to the area between patrols after that.

He heard a particularly loud clang as he rounded a corner, making him think that a piece of a truck was being more stubborn than usual, if the mutterings he could hear were anything to go by. When he entered the garage however, it was to the sound of Mac holding back a yell as a wrench crashed down onto his right arm. The kid was clearly trying not to call attention to the situation as he rounded on the attacker, a kick to the chest sending him to the floor. There was someone on the ground already, but as Mac was standing over her, Jack guessed that she had been working with him but had been knocked out first so as not raise the alarm.

There were three other people surrounding the younger man. If the blood on his forehead was anything to go by, and the way he was holding his left hand, he hadn't been wining. Wondering how to help without making the kid look like he needed help, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Hey!" His voice bounced round the vehicles, causing the attackers to look at him. As he had hoped, Mac took the distraction and laid out the four men with quick moves. After a moment and they didn't even so much as move, Jack went over; hurrying his last few steps as Mac stumbled.

"Hey, easy kid. What happened?" He asked as he sat him on the ground next to his work partner. She had blonde hair and around his age. The marks on her shoulders indicated that she was Mac's rank. Jack dragged away and tied the four men up using their own laces. After that he grabbed a first aid kit at the door he had come through and went back to the pair. Mac had managed to get the woman to come around, but she was still groggy.

"They wanted some fun with her. I think they've been giving her a hard time for a while." The look he had sent Jack told him that it was a similar thing to what had happened to him before Jack had stepped in.

They managed to get her walking again and got her to the infirmary, where Jack managed to convince Mac to get himself seen to as well. A very bruised right arm from the wrench, a twisted left wrist that required wrapping and a nick above his nose that simply needed cleaning was the result of his skirmish. The woman, Lasiter, had a bad concussion that required she stay at least overnight. While they were seen to, Jack returned to the garage, collecting a couple of MP's along the way. The four men were arrested and Jack told the MP's what he had seen.

Lasiter and MacGyver also told them what had happened, with Lasiter confirming what Mac had said before. The four had been locked up and were going to be sent back for trial as soon as the next plane arrived.

It was almost three hours later that Mac found himself at Jack's tent/office. "You a Major?" He asked as he caught a water tossed by Jack.

"No, Captain." Jack caught the look of surprise on his face. "I've been doing this job longer than you've been alive, Mac; and I've been good at it. This is the result." He said as he sat down.

"I wanted to ask if you're ready to get back out in the field." He said, explaining why he had gone seeking the younger man in the first place. "If you think your wrist won't be any good out there, let me know." He watched as the blonde thought about it. He rubbed his arm and then wrist as he finished off the water Jack had given him.

"Why me?" he asked, throwing Jack slightly.

Taking a minute to recover slightly, he thought carefully about what he said next, to not give away his plans. He wanted Mac to choose to join his team on his own terms. "You've got the skills, and if what I've seen about you the last few days is anything to go by; you're ready. Radise has asked me to put a team together to head out on patrol, but at some point, head to a village that the Taliban has rigged with IEDs." He paused at that, seeing the kid flinch at the last word. "I'm not telling anyone else about the reason we're heading there, just you."

Mac thought about it a moment. "You want me to be on the lookout for the IEDs, and it'll be a perfect excuse to stick around there for a while. I don't know how many there are, but if past experience is anything to go by, it'll be a lot."

Jack watched Mac struggle for a few minutes, his face a mixture of emotions. Fear, worry. He hoped the kid would say yes. It took several minutes, but eventually;

"OK. When do we head out?"

They had left the next morning and had made it to the village around noon. Mac spotted the first IED as soon as they entered. What followed was the most nerve racking three hours of his life. Watching Mac go to work on those bombs was amazing. When they returned to base, they were informed that one of the men from the day before was Hasnik's brother. The pair shared a look that said that things could get bad.

 _END FLASHBACK_

Jack returned to the present as Mac talked about everything that had been happening since Pena died. And mentioned a few things before that. Jack was amazed at how resilient he was for someone so young. He tuned back into the conversation when Radise spoke about reassignment.

"As Jack may have told you, both he and another Delta leader want you on their team. My question to you is, where do you want to go?"

Jack wouldn't look at him, not wanting to influence him anymore than he already had.

"I'd like to join Jack's Delta team, Sir." He heard Mac say, relief flooding through him.

Radise nodded several times, not really surprised. "I'll get the paperwork organised. Jack, I have a job for your team in a week's time. I believe the rest of your team is due back later tonight?"

Jack nodded. "Yes Sir, 2100."

Radise stood and headed out, saying as he went, "MacGyver, pack your kit up. You'll be bunking with Jack's unit from now on."

"Yes, Sir." Came the sharp reply. Both men watched their base leader head off into the night before Jack asked "You want a hand getting your kit?"

Mac nodded. They headed off and talked about home as they gathered his gear. Some of the men asked if they had finally moved in together. To which Mac replied that he had been assigned to Jack's unit. The silence that followed was long enough that they were able to leave without further questions.


	6. Sixth Trip

Here's another chapter for you. I think I've only got a couple left to go. If anything doesn't sound right, let me know and I will endeavour to fix it.

As always, Mac and Jack are not mine, but all the others are.

* * *

They arrived at the Delta part of the camp and Jack helped Mac to drop off his EOD gear. The other four from earlier stood and introduced themselves. "So kid, what's your first name?" Tim asked after he had introduced himself as Mac.

He seemed to blush a little, and stayed silent for a moment before a soft, "Angus." made it past his lips, causing them to chuckle.

"No wonder you prefer 'Mac'." Tyler said. He then helped the younger man to get settled in before getting his hel with something.

They were talking quietly when the rest of the unit came in an hour later. Several stopped in surprise at the sight of Mac, calmly pulling apart an already deactivated bomb, at the entrance to the building that they occupied when on base.

"Hi, Mac." He said, standing and holding out a hand to shake.

Jack watched their reactions closely. He had hidden himself partly in the shadows of the building as the team talked. Mac was starting to relax around the others, and he hoped that the new arrivals would be accepting of him without the team leader having to step in.

A couple held out their hands and greeted him back with their own names. Tim was sitting beside Mac and had been pointing out a few things that Simon had noticed about this particular bomber. He leaned back in his chair and Jack hoped that by having Simon's closest friend supporting the kid, the others would accept him better.

The arrivals numbered six; and with two accepting Mac quickly, that made eight that were at least supporting his decision (even if the rest of the team didn't know that yet). The other four looked at the kid a moment, at Tim calmly handing him a screwdriver as a reminder that they still had work to do; then three of them stepped forward, hands out, as well.

As Jack expected, Jason was the only one who didn't welcome the kid. He brushed past him without so much as looking at him. Jason had never liked change. He hated younger people as well. Anyone who hadn't been in combat for more than five years didn't belong in a Delta unit, was his way of thinking.

Jack sighed before he stood, surprising the others, even Mac and Tim. The new arrivals hadn't seen him and the other two had forgotten he was there. "Before you ask, Jason; Mac's good at what he does. I've seen his work, both as an EOD tech and with other things. I know you don't like change, but with Simon gone, we need a tech." He headed out onto the porch that he and several of the others had added to the building. "Radise has a mission for us in a week. Tomorrow morning, 0430, meet me on the track. We're gonna start training until we know each other's moves. Get some sleep men. Mac bring your suit. We'll be doing some work for you too." He saw the younger man nod and headed back to his own tent, hoping that at 10 to 1, Jason wouldn't do anything silly, at least tonight.

It was at 0400, just as Jack was getting ready to head to the field that Tim knocked on his tent.

"Knock, knock, boss. You up?" He asked before just ambling in. Tim was actually the same rank as him, but had only been in the military for about half the time as Jack.

"Sure, what's up?" He asked as he tugged his shirt on. He hoped that nothing had happened over night. The last thing he needed was to deal with sleepy men along with everything else.

"Mac. He was having trouble sleeping last night. Until I helped him drag his bed onto the porch."

Jack sighed. He had a feeling he knew what that was about. It meant that the men he was bunking with before now were giving him trouble and the kid was still feeling it.

"So long as we support him, and keep him clear of Jason; he should get use to it." He told Tim the reason he suspected, and Tim nodded.

"I'll keep him close." He must have seen the look in Jack's eye. "I promise, no hanky panky."

Jack knew of Tim's preferred bed mates. He and Simon had been _very_ close after all. "I would have thought you, aside from Jason, would have objected to this more."

Tim sighed and sat as Jack finished getting ready. "I never took much notice of him, but I caught up with Charlie Robinson while I was Stateside. He mentioned the kid. Talked about him. We have the same background; raised by a grandparent after Mom or in his case, Dad left. And last night, I could see how close he was, and possible still is to breaking." Tim looked up at Jack then. "Because of my choice of, bedmates, I've been on the receiving end of similar things, until I joined your unit. I figured the kid needed someone who has a similar past to be able to connect with."

 _In other words, someone to talk to when things got too much, who wasn't his boss._ Jack read between the lines. He nodded and headed out, allowing Tim to proceed him to the track, where he could make out the rest of his team in the darkness.

The next few hours were spent running the track, so Jack would have a fair idea where Mac stood with the rest of the team. His lack of food and sleep was still affecting him, but he hoped that a week with the rest of the team watching his back and away from all the bullies (who were now on a plane back to the US) would help.

They had breakfast later as a team with the higher ranks, where Radise looked over and caught Jack's eye at one point. He nodded a silent OK, making his friend smile. Jack knew that his team would be good with Mac joining them.

They spent the rest of the week bonding; finding out just what Mac was capable. They did a mock firefight while Mac disarmed a tricky bomb that Robinson had designed and sent over for them. This gave Mac a few tense minutes with live weapons fire (rubber bullets still hurt like the devil) going off around him. Jack thought he did well, since he had said that he hadn't done that sort of thing before.

A couple of weeks later found them holed up in an old building with the same situation, only the bullets were real. It had been a simple snatch and grab, until they discovered that their intel was wrong about the number of men, and that there was no one to snatch. Jack told Mac that the chance of ending up in a firefight were high with their unit, so Mac had agreed to carry a gun, even if he didn't draw it very often.

Jack watched as Mac fired at a man that had managed to get past Jason, causing him to drop. The shot had ended up between the eyes, making him rethink the reason that Mac didn't like using guns. It had nothing to do with his marksmanship.

He then scooted over and had another go at the bomb that he had spotted. It had been tucked away into a corner. Not live, thank God, but still, a hit from one of the many bullets flying around them could set it off. He then got busy trying to not die as the fighting intensified. Jason screamed as a bullet made it past his vest, causing Mac to shout

"Don't touch the vest!"

He finished whatever he had been doing to the bomb, that no longer looked like one; and raced over. He had a handful of powder that Jack realised had come from the bomb. Jack had pulled Jason back into better cover and watched as Mac poured it over the wound on his shoulder. The vest had been tight enough to keep pressure on the wound until Mac had pulled it back. Before the blood could start up again, he had set the lighter to it. The gun powder flashed and instantly cauterised the wound. Jason had passed out by this time, but Mac was already heading back to whatever he had been doing with the bomb.

Jack watched as the fighting subsided a little, then stopped as a voice yelled out for them to surrender. Knowing that wouldn't be an option, he was about to yell back as such when Mac caught his attention.

"Jack, we need to get out of here."

"We go out there, they'll kill us." He said.

"We only need to get just outside. Oh and clear the doorway." He shuffled around and Jack suddenly saw a contraption that Mac had been building while under heavy fire and helping one of his team mates.

"Ok, outside and clear of the doorway." He told the rest of the team as he roused Jason. After a look of amazement at the order, and a nod to show that he wasn't crazy, they headed out.

MACGYVER MACGYVER MACGYVER

"You should have seen him, Thom. He built this directional bomb in the middle of all that." Jack said a few days later. Radise had been busy so hadn't had a chance to talk to Jack until then.

"It work?" Radise asked as he looked over the photos that showed the damage the kids bomb had done. MacGyver had placed it at the door as they exited, and detonated it just as the team dove clear. It had also blown out the windows and had the added effect of destroying most of the terrorists that had cornered them.

"If it hadn't, none of us would be here." Both men contemplated that a moment. It was a couple of days later that they were discussing what had happened. Jack still trying to figure out how the kid had turned a bunch of IEDs into what he had with nothing more than what was around them.

Radise handed Jack the item he had requested a day or so after they got back, Jack nodding his thanks. The kid would need it if he was still up for sticking around with them. "Took a while to find, but one of the others in camp had one."

"What do I owe?" Jack asked, a smile gracing his features at the answer.

"A water pistol."

MACGYVER MACGYVER MACGYVER

Mac was sitting outside the Delta hut, fiddling with his fingers. He had been shot in one shoulder, a graze; and had strained the other when getting out of the doorway a few days earlier. The base doctor had ordered no straining under any circumstances, or he would be heading home for a few weeks until both healed. So of course, he was insanely bored. He had tried to practice dismantling a few bombs, but he had not only been caught, twice, but he had pulled the stiches holding the graze closed.

Jack watched the younger man for a moment from the shadows of the other buildings before walking over. "Here," he said, dropping what Radise had given him into the kid's hands. He watched as Mac's eyes lit up.

A few days before, when re-making the bomb, he had to use the Swiss army knife that his grandfather had given him before he deployed to hold down a component. He had been moody after that until Jack had asked about the reason. It had taken him and Radise a few days to find a replacement, mainly because a lot of the men and women loathed to give them up. The one that Radise had found was a little beaten up, scuffed, but had all its innards.

Now Mac looked like Christmas had come early and eagerly checked it out, making sure that it had all the bits. Jack sat in a chair and watched as he went to work on something that he had been banned from. Jack raised an eyebrow when he winced as his muscles stretched, but when the kid didn't grunt in pain, Jack left him to it.

"You owe one of those water pistols, by the way." He said after a few minutes. He could now see that Mac had managed to make, using nothing more than a few scrap pieces from the motor pool, another arm for the bomb robot. It looked like it could pick up and carry something the size of a 20 inch TV.

"Who to?" Mac paused at that, looking at Jack.

The older man shrugged as he accepted a drink from Tim as he came out to join them. "The general didn't say. Hand it to him, and he'll make sure it gets to the right person." The older two looked at the younger man as he finished his drink and used the can to make springs to add to the arm, increasing the gripping strength. Jack and Tim looked at him in amazement, shaking their heads.

* * *

A/N: There is one more chapter after this. It contains graphic wording of the injury kind. I have put a warning before it starts as well as in the AN at the start of the chapter. I don't think it's too bad, but most likely if you're squeamish it won't be good. If anyone would like me to post a non graphic version of it, let me know.


	7. Final Foray

So, here we are. The final chapter. Let me know what you think. I pretty much haven't changed this from how I wrote it.

WARNING! Some graphic images written in this chapter. I have put a note to alert where they are.

Nope, still not mine. Bugger.

* * *

It was almost eight months later that everything changed. They had been tracking a group of terrorists that were doing gorilla style warfare. Sneaking out and attacking towns at night before retreating back into the mountains. Jack's team had been tasked with tracking down and finding them and putting a stop to them; by any means necessary.

Jack walked into the team's tent at the base it all started at. It was the first time in several months that they had returned. "We got it." He said as he entered.

"They give us the green light?" Mac asked as he looked up from working on the bomb robot. While he wasn't able to use it very often, he kept it in shape, just in case. It had broken down the week before and he hadn't been able to fix it until then.

"We going after those bastards?" Tim asked, looking up from holding a plate in place for Mac.

"Yep. We've tracked them to a hillside to the east. They headed out an hour ago, but Radise is sending another team to hopefully stop them, or at least reduce the damage they do. They want us in place for when they return."

"You want to set up an ambush." Mac stated.

"Darn right. These guys have done enough damage, and I'm not about to let them do anymore. Gear up guys, we're heading out in twenty." With that, he headed back out, turning once to look back. Mac was joking with Mason and Tim and, despite the danger they were heading into the next morning, they were treating the kid like one of their own. He was pleased that everything had worked out.

The next morning found them waiting for the terrorists to return. They had been there for several hours. Word had reached them that another team from the base had managed to keep them at bay and forced them to return early. Jack called out to them to surrender, even though he knew the chances were between squat and buckleys; and everything went to hell.

The first they knew that the ambush had spectacularly failed was when the bolder that Tim was hidden behind, exploded. They heard his short scream before it fell silent.

Next, a line of explosions went off, right under where Jason and two others were. Again, their screams were heard.

With four men down, and the ambush blown, Jack, Mac and the remaining members opened fire. The number they were up against was over thirty, odds they had faced before, but this time, there were no handy hidden bombs to re-model.

Another bomb went off, though thankfully (or not) no screams, and Jack noticed that Mac was digging in the dirt around them. Jack realised that the younger man had figured that there was a bomb nearby and was trying to find it before it was triggered. Turning back to the fight, he heard Mac's yell that he had found and disarmed it a moment later. A forth explosion went off, causing Jack to duck. More yells, both in pain and triumph. He caught word that the backup they called in since the first explosion was about five mikes out. Jack knew that the chances that they would survive the next five minutes were slim.

A fifth explosion in mid-air caught everyone by surprise, but Jack's team rallied quicker, using the distraction (no doubt thanks to Mac) to take out a few of the terrorists. They had somehow managed to whittle down the number they were facing to about half of what they had started with. They were still out-numbered at almost 2-to-1, but the backup would be arriving in two mikes.

A sixth and final explosion in the middle of the ranks of the terrorists decimated the last of them. Jack looked back to Mac, who had stepped into the open a moment before. His face was filled with hate, anger and overwhelming sadness. He realised that the kid had somehow found several of the bombs and had bound them together and tossed the lot right where they were standing. They hadn't even bothered to separate, that confident that their bombs would take them out.

* * *

ALERT ALERT ALERT graphic wording below!

* * *

A moment later, a helicopter was heard, and Jack could hear voices calling out to him. He radioed that they had wounded, then raced over to the nearest of the injured. It was Jason. The man had become a close friend of Mac's after the kid had saved all their lives with the directional bomb just eight months before. His lower half was gone, and so was he. Jack paused a moment before closing his eyes.

Jason La Crosse had been with the unit for seven years, had been in the military for over ten and was a father to two children.

The next man he came across had been blown clear, but his military career was over, with the loss of his left leg above his knee. Jack applied a tourniquet that would hold until the medics arrived.

The third man caught in the explosion that had killed Jason had ended up with shrapnel in his legs. He would be able to walk fine, be he doubted that he would stay in the military. Making sure he was alright, Jack walked over to where Tim had been. Two others had been nearby, and had wounds. While Jack couldn't see the extent of them in the pre-dawn darkness, the amount of blood made black in the night, told him that they might not make it, or that they would be discharged. He found Mac there, looking at the place the bolder had been before the explosion. There was nothing but scattered remains to be seen of the first guy aside from Jack to accept Mac into the team.

Tim Shannon still had the Irish accent that he had been born with, and Jack knew that this would hit his mother hard. Joined at eighteen, he had been in the military just as long.

It was the third explosion that took out Tyler. He had been standing on it and hadn't even had time to yell. When Jack and Mac made it to the area, nothing but a crater could be seen. It would be another two days until the twisted remains of his dog-tags would be found.

Tyler Larson was the youngest out of ten and talked about his big family often. He was the 10th generation to sign up and the only one of his siblings to join.

* * *

End of graphic writing.

* * *

The pair stood a moment, looking at the destruction around them. Three dead, four severely injured; Jack had no doubt that the others wouldn't want to keep going. They had lost half their brothers that night.

"I don't want to do this anymore." Came the almost unheard words. Jack turned toward the youngest of what remained of their team. He saw the sadness had returned, only now it was ten times worse.

"Do what, Mac?" Jack asked, wanting to be sure that the kid wasn't thinking anything stupid. He'd seen others take their own lives after losing just one combat brother, let alone what they had lost.

"This." He gestured to the ground before them, including the terrorists that survived that the backup had tied up. "I just want to go home." He looked at Jack, and he saw that Mac really needed him then.

He flashed back to when Mac had joined. He had mentioned that he had a friend, Boza; but he wouldn't be able to understand this. The other survivors had families of their own. Not to mention the families of those that had died to comfort, to help them refocus. Mac was alone. He hadn't even met any of the others families. Jack nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him to one of the choppers.

The remainder of the unit left the country behind them as they all flew home with the coffins, three days later.

McGyver ... McGyver ...

It was at the end of the mission to find the bomber that Mac answered Jack.

"You remember asking what he did to me?" He asked, looking at the older man.

It was just him and Mac sitting on the porch at Jack's house a few days later. He nodded, wondering what the words would be.

"It wasn't just Pena that he took." Mac sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Jack got the sense that Mac really didn't want to tell him. "He took the second family I had found over there."

Jack got the worst feeling in the pit of his stomach. "No." he said quietly, denial in his voice.

"The bombs that killed Tim, Jason and Tyler and injured the others, were his handywork."

Jack was silent as he processed that. He stood suddenly and walked around a bit, getting his breathing back to normal and keeping his emotions in check. "How do you know?"

"The bomb that Tim and I were working on that night I joined you. Simon had been tracking him at the time and had managed to get one to study. I think it was the only time he failed to set one off." Mac accepted the drink Jack handed him. "When I found the bomb near us and a couple of the others, I recognised the work. I had hoped that the bomb I threw into their ranks had killed him, but I guess he wasn't there that night."

"Why didn't you tell me.?" Jack asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Because the only way I could see it ending, was with one or all of us dead and him still getting away. And I didn't want to lose another friend; not to him, not again."

Jack processed that, knowing that the younger man was right. He would have stayed, asked those left to stick around. He knew how stubborn he was, and he would have stayed in country until they either caught the bomber, or they all died.

The pair continued to sit and stare over the landscape as the sun rose, signalling the end of one era and the start of another.

* * *

A/N: Ta Da! Finished. I hope I've ended this well. I haven't seen anything since the episode where they crash the helicopter. Australia isn't showing anything more until the show is renewed I guess.

I hope I've done the characters justice. I apologise if anything I've written has offended people or triggered anything. I have no military knowledge or experience. I have simply written this from what I read and seen over the years.

Thank you for reading.


End file.
